Railands & Chester Station Gateway

This £10 million project will regenerate Chester station and its surroundings to create a key gateway into the city and enhance other historically important buildings along Brook Street and City Road. The programme will improve the travelling experience for bus and rail passengers and increase retail and commercial activity in the areas around the station.

The project is being delivered by the Gateway Partnership which includes:

• Arriva Trains Wales
• Cheshire County Council
• Chester City Council
• Merseyrail
• Merseytravel
• Network Rail
• North West Development Agency
• Railway Heritage Trust
• Virgin Trains
• Visit Chester & Cheshire

What the Project will Achieve

• Improved environment
• Retail and commercial space
• Better facilities for passengers
• Improved traffic flow
• Conservation and enhancement of grade II* listed station building
• Increased investment and development opportunities in the area
• Vacant and derelict areas brought back into use

What's Happening & When

• Station roof repairs - completed glazing and improvements to the train shed roofs by Network Rail.
• Repairs and enhancements to the station façade - first phases of stonework and brick repair have now been completed on the West and East Wings of the frontage building façade. Further repairs to the ground floor of the East Wing are taking place June-July 2008 and the Partnership are working with the private owners of the rest of the frontage building to develop further schemes of improvement. The architectural lighting scheme installation was completed in March 2008 and highlights the architectural and historic features of the façade as well as improving the safety and environment of the station area after dark. (More details from Chester City Council)
• Improved customer facilities and new station concourse - works are progressing for completion of the new concourse by October 2008 by Arriva Trains Wales. The refurbished toilets on the concourse side are now open. The new travel centre is now operational and one of the café units is open.
• New Customer Information System and CCTV - will be completed as part of the new concourse by October 2008.
• Station Square - completed in December 2007 led by Cheshire County Council. A reconfigured traffic layout and management of traffic in the area, improved setting of the station and surrounding buildings with high quality heritage materials for footways and crossing points, and contemporary designed lighting columns and timber bollards.
• Island platform and over bridge schemes - this is the next major phase of works for the Station Gateway project. A scheme to introduce a new pavilion to include a waiting area and refreshment kiosk has been developed and a funding package and programme (including NWDA and National Stations Improvement Programme) is currently being prepared to deliver it. Network Rail have plans to repair platform 7, including the West Pavilion building and the island platform scheme will include refurbishing the passenger toilets. In addition, works are in early development stage for improving and enhancing the historic footbridge that links the concourse to the island platform. The target period for delivery of these schemes is 2009-10.
• General cleaning, maintenance, environmental improvements, signage and welcome are all part of the ongoing operation of the station and the improvement project.
• Conservation Statement and Management Plan - is in final draft stages and should be available by August 2008. This is a key document setting out the vision and key principles for the Partnership Programme. The Council has adopted the Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) Chester Station Gateway Design Guide and Conservation Management Plan, which covers the area of the Station, Brook Street and City Road (available from Chester City Council website)
• Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) - funding from Heritage Lottery Fund, Railway Heritage Trust, Cheshire County Council, and Chester City Council is in place to deliver conservation-led regeneration projects to buildings and public realm in the area, which includes the Station and approaches. Target buildings and structures in Brook Street and the Station have been identified for their historical and architectural significance and impact to the townscape of the area. Proposed recipients of THI grant funding will be subject to an application to the scheme and must have an eligible project. This scheme will build on external schemes of improvements along Brook Street and the Station frontage building funded through English Heritage schemes over the past 5 years. (More details from Chester City Council)

Work started on the station refurbishment in April 2007 and is expected to finish in 2010

Chester Station Development Prospectus

If you would like further information regarding the development you can download the Chester Station Development Prospectus (PDF)